Packaging heavy, bulky machinery such as lawn and garden tractors, lawn mowers, snowmobiles, boat motors, engines, air compressors, air conditioners and the like presents many unique considerations. Because such machinery is by its nature difficult to handle and store, conventional double-wall or triple-wall laminated corrugated paperboard containers have long been recognized as being unsuitable for packing heavy equipment. As a result, wood reinforced boxes with mating bases and top frames have been developed. These shipping containers are often referred to as wood cleated boxes.
The conventional wood cleated box consists of a wood reinforce corrugated paperborad body, a wooden top frame and a wooden base. At least one interior wall of the corrugated paperboard body is provided with a wood reinforcement vertically aligned to provide stacking strength. The corrugated paperboard body gives the container definition and maintains the position of the vertical wood reinforcements. The base member, often referred to as a skid board, supports the container and the product packed therein. The top frame closes off the container and provides a constant surface upon which another container may be stacked. This arrangement seeks to prevent collapse of the container even when shipped and stored in two to four unit stacks.
Conventional packaging of heavy equipment in a typical wood cleated box calls for the product to be packed by first being fastened to the base. The wood reinforced corrugated paperboard body is then placed over the product and slid down over the base. The corrugated paperboard body is stapled to the wood base in a conventional manner by a compressed air-driven staple gun. The top frame is inserted into the upper portion of the corrugated paperboard body and supported by the wood reinforcements of the corrugated paperboard body. Once the top flaps of the box are folded and secured in place, steel or plastic banding is often provided to grid the completed package.
While conventional wood reinforced shipping containers have proven adequately effective for packaging heavy equipment, several problems exist. These containers are often handled by fork lifts. Forklifts require that the shipping container include an external skid board below the container base to provide clearance for the fork blades. Thus, not only is an extra component part required, but the product is stored at a significantly greater height. Such additional height is compounded in a three or four high stack of unit containers. The additional component (the skid board, pallet, etc.) renders stacking a more difficult task because the container can slide thereabout. Yet another problem with forklifts is operator error. Even when acting with due care, a forklift operator may misdirect the fork blades and pierce the container, thereby causing damage not only to the container but the product packaged therein.
For these and other reasons, clamp trucks are often preferred over fork lifts for handling packaged heavy machinery. Clamp trucks provide a pair of hydraulically activated arms that squeeze the container in order to lift and transport it. In preferred use, the arms of the clamp truck are placed about the base of the conventional wood cleated box so as to exert the squeezing action against a solid, rigid member. Thus, there is no need for an external skid board, pallet or like member when using a clamp truck. Clamp trucks have been found to provide superior handling capability, resulting in less damage to the package and contents. Additionally, clamp trucks can be used to stack unit packages to a greater height and, once stacked, to straighten the individual containers within any particular stack.
The conventional wood cleated box is unsuited for handling by a clamp truck. A principal problem is separation of the base and the corrugated paperboard body. While it is recommended that the clamp truck arms be placed about and squeezed against the rigid base of the conventional wood cleated box, the arms are often clamped about the corrugated paperboard body. Because the packaged product is extremely heavy, a tremendous downward force is exerted against the base of the conventional box. As a result, the staples that secure the base to the corrugated paperborad body often work through the paperboard and are pulled loose. As a result, the base and the packaged product secured thereto fall from the corrugated box body, causing irreparable damage to the container, significant damage to the product and potential harm to bystanders.
Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that twisting, lateral forces are exerted on all containers during shipment. When three or four containers are stacked one on top of the other in a truck, rail car or the like, the jostling action resulting from typical transport will cause the staples to work through the corrugated paperboard body wall. This, of course, can result in separation of the base and the corrugated paperboard body upon handling by either a forklift or a clamp truck.
Thus, there is a need in the prior art for a wood reinforced shipping container that addresses the problems of base and body separation so that the container's integrity is assured during packing, shipping and storage.